NORWALK -- Dominic Abbatiello put on his flame-covered helmet and sat down in his neon kart, ready to race.

He gave his competition, his friend Jimmy Ross, a quick thumbs up, before he started his engine.

Both boys took off flying. Abbatiello became an orange streak weaving through the cones. The boys rounded the final corner, kart to kart.

The crowd, consisting of various parents and supporters, leaned forward, anticipation electrifying the air. At the last moment, Abbatiello zoomed ahead, earning his victory. His car pulled slowly around the bend, sputtering to a stop. People came over, high-fiving him.

"I get so excited when that happens," the 9-year-old said, breathless with flushed cheeks, "When I pass him, I'm like yes!"

This wasn't Abbatiello's first race, or even his first victory. He has been racing since he was four and a half, traveling from his hometown of North Branford to Calf Pasture Beach to race with Norwalk Karting Association.

He has won Rookie of the Year in 2014 and became the Junior 1 Champion on the oval dirt track two years in a row.

His mother, Donna Abbatiello, whose family used to race cars in Plainville Stadium, remembered watching as her son's love for racing grow even before he drove his first kart.

"You might think he's crazy but I put on the NASCAR race when he was a baby, and he'd watch just sit there and watch," she said.

She recalled looking over at her child, fascinated by the speeding cars, and thinking, "Uh-oh, he's hooked. Here we go."

Donna Abbatiello has done her best to support her son, even building him a kart-racing course in their backyard.

Between races every Saturday with the NKA, and daily rides at his own home, Abbatiello has plenty of opportunities to feed his passion.

When asked about what he loves about racing, Abbatiello tapped his pointer finger on his palm, rattling off a list, "Having fun, enjoying things, making new friends, having lots of friends, having experiences, and going fast."

He paused as karts raced by, tearing through the air.

"When I'm racing, I feel kind of brave," he said.

Donna Abbatilleo chuckled as she looked over at her son, adding "He's got oil in his blood."